Sunday, May 19, 2013

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This girl is moving mountains!
Posted: 03.22.2013 at 6:33 PM
Abby Miller

Iron Mountain Bureau Reporter

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Disabled skiing possible in Iron Mountain

IRON MOUNTAIN -- Conquering the mountain. That's how skier Alyssa Forstrom sees it when she's hitting the slopes. 

“I like looking down and seeing all the people going down,” said Alyssa.

And it's more than just a great ski run.

Conquering the mountain, for Alyssa, is simply a way of life. She suffers from Spina Bifida, a condition that leaves her unable to use her legs.  So for anyone looking at the situation, skiing would seem to be an impossible activity.

But that's not what instructors Bud and Denise DeLano saw.  So they created a way to make that impossibility, a reality.

“She was our first student of the year last year; she was our last student of the year last year, and she'll be the same this year,” explained Denise.

You snap into the innovative ski contraption, bring along a helpful instructor, and you've got the Moving Mountains Adaptive Program. It offers the same skiing experience but from a completely different perspective, one that many of us will never know.

“As much as we all try to understand, we can’t because we don’t know their world,” Denise added.

What once seemed unattainable is now precisely what gives Alyssa the most joy.  But she's not the only one reaping the benefits.

“It's changing the lives of the volunteers as much,” explained ski volunteer David Curland. “It’s quite moving, quite moving. When you realize that you really have quite an impact on something that we all have taken so much joy from: the sport itself.”

And for Alyssa, she now knows that if there's a mountain, she can conquer it.

“It's awesome; I love being able to do something that I’ve always wanted to do, and now I can.”

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